


Winter and Renewal

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Tactics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-21
Updated: 2005-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 02:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1626779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When people start freezing to death in the mountains, Kantarou drags Youko and Haruka out to investigate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter and Renewal

**Author's Note:**

> Written for sexybee

 

 

"That's seven dead already," Kantarou said, strangely triumphant.

"Ehhh? Kan-chan, what're you doing? Research for the article? Let me see!"

"Er." Kantarou didn't -- quite -- cover the notes with his arms. "It's ... _sort-of_ research? I mean, ahaha--"

Youko sighed. "Kan-chan! You plan to go out chasing down youkai again, don't you? I don't mind if you want to save that sort of thing for your hobby, but when you've got important deadlines coming up, you should wait--"

"Of course I'd wait normally, Youko-chan," Kantarou wheedled. "It's just that people are dying from this--"

"That's-- what?"

Assured now of her attention, Kantarou nodded, pointing down at the gathered newspaper clippings. "Seven people frozen to death this winter, all in the same area of the mountains."

Youko pursed her lips thoughtfully. "It's not that uncommon for people to freeze to death in winter, though. It doesn't mean much."

Kantarou smiled at her tightly. "Every one of them was holding an infant. That's such a trademark ... It's a yuki-onna out there."

"Yes, but..."

"Ah, they can be so gentle," Kantarou said, strangely embarrassed. "I don't like that she's been driven to killing people."

From the doorway, Haruka snorted. "They're _known_ for freezing people to death. I'm not sure why you thik they're g--"

Kantarou looked up with bright eyes. "Haruka! I need you to--"

"I'm not interested," Haruka said. "Nobody's hired us for this. There won't be any money. If you don't do the article instead, we'll go hungry."

As if he hadn't spoken, Kantarou turned to him with a bright smile. "Of course, I'll need Haruka's help. The yuki-onna's a woman, after all, and all women are weak to Haruka."

"..."

"Ha-ru-ka."

Haruka snorted and turned away, but his shoulders showed defeat.

"Youko-chan, Haruka, let's dress warmly, okay?" Butter wouldn't have melted in Kantarou's mouth. "We're going to the mountains."

***

"Kan-chaaaaaaaaaaan, it's cold."

"Ahhh, I thought I'd warned you to dress warmly..."

Standing outside of their lodge, Youko snuffled pathetically and rubbed her arms. "I am dressed warmly, Kan-chan. Ehhhhhhh, you're just going out to look anyway today, can't I stay in?"

Kantarou hesitated. "Well... Haruka and I will be travelling in a pair, so it should be all right ... especially if you want to begin work on dinner while we're out?"

"Yes, yes," Youko sighed. "Ahhhh, you work me like a slave--"

"We're out here to work anyway!"

"Yes, yes. Go and come back safely, all right?"

Kantarou gave her a wave, the snow crunching underfoot as he walked; beside him, Haruka was near-silent. Kantarou glanced back, suspiciously, to see if he was leaving footprints.

"... Stop craning your neck around like that," Haruka said. "We have to keep our eyes out for the yuki-onna."

Kantarou nodded, looking around again. "Ahhhhh, it's cold! Do you think we'll find her quickly?"

"This was your idea," Haruka muttered. "Don't complain when it's your idea."

But even with that said, he put an arm around Kantarou and drew him closer.

***

Several hours into their hike, the snow had grown thick, caught in the wind. It had a double-effect: First, the thick flakes were blown everywhere by the heavy wind, reducing visibility until Kantarou, at least, was near-blinded, the flakes hanging thick on his eyelashes even with one arm raised to protect his face with his sleeve. Second, the wind seemed to cut straight through all layers of clothing to chill the bone; Kantarou's fingers were stiff, and he was too cold even to complain, the rims of his ears burning as if the wind were fire instead.

"Ah, Haruka," he finally said, feeling his lips crack as he moved them. "It's no good, we have to go back for now, until the storm's over--"

Haruka nodded, briefly, then, realizing he couldn't be seen, added, "Going back will be as hard as continuing. Isn't that a cave?"

"Ah, a cave?" Kantarou squinted helplessly. "I can't really see, but is it safe?"

"One moment," Haruka said, and began to trudge over that way.

He lost sight of Haruka in the billows of snow and shivered, looking around uneasily and trying to spot movement. Minutes passed, and he rubbed at his ears to try to warm them, still looking about -- finally catching sight of movement off to his right. "Haruka--"

"What?" Haruka was almost beside him, this time from his left. "The cave had once been inhabited by animals, but it looks as though it's been abandoned. It'll be all right to wait until the worst of this dies down."

"Ehhh? What if that doesn't happen?"

"Then we take some time to rest out of the cold and head back the way we'd come." Haruka gave him a look. "It's not as if we'd be stuck there for any reason."

"Right, right..." Kantarou looked off again; whatever had originally caught his attention was gone. "Ahh, cave, let's get warm..."

It wasn't exactly warm inside, but the wind, at least, was cut down, and in comparison, Kantarou felt he could relax. His ears started burning a moment later and he whimpered, hands flying up to cover them. "Ow--"

"Let's see you."

"I'm fine, I just -- owwwwww. Haruka, don't touch, they hurt!"

Haruka snorted, rubbing his finger over an ear. "...You just need to get warm. I'll start a fire."

"Ah, should we?"

"No harm in it."

Kantarou leaned back and watched as Haruka stacked sticks, hit them with a small shock of electricity. "Ahh, Haruka's useful for household tasks, isn't he?"

Haruka eyed him. "...I can put the fire out again."

"Ehh, but it's warm. Haruka's not spiteful, is he?"

Haruka sighed, sitting back. "Not spiteful," he muttered, and pretended not to notice when Kantarou cuddled into his side.

***

The storm died not long after that, but by that time it was moving on to dusk.

"We'd better get back for today," Haruka said, mildly.

Kantarou nodded, sighing. "I don't much like it, but we don't have much choice. We can go out again tomorrow."

"... I really hope you can afford to pay for the lodge for this many days..."

Kantarou waved a hand. "It's fine, it's fine!" he said, rising and kicking some sand over the fire. "The woman who owns it, Fumie-san, owes me a favour or two, eheh. I helped her with a problem once, she was very grateful."

"Ah," Haruka said, knowingly. "You're taking advantage of her kindness."

"Haruka!"

***

By the time they got back, Youko had oden cooking; she'd been hard at work in the small lodge not far from the big house on the hill, and the place smelled like welcome, really.

"Youko-chan!" Kantarou called as he entered. "We're back!"

"Ah, Kan-chan, shoes off--"

"I know, I know--"

"It's just that you're all snowy--" She paused, her hands on his shoulder. "Eheh, the job's not over yet?"

He shook his head. "We got caught in the bad weather -- ah, that smells good!"

"Ehh, it should be ready, but don't eat right from the pot, Kan-chan!"

"The snow was probably her doing," Haruka muttered. "They do that."

"Mm, I thought it might be," Kantarou said, eating the daikon he'd nabbed. "I thought I saw someone out there."

Haruka frowned. "Someone?"

"It didn't really look like a yuki-onna, though," Kantarou said. "And I didn't sense any youki. It was someone in black."

"Someone else also caught in the storm?" Youko suggested, setting places and putting down tea. "Ah, it looked bad, you must be really cold."

"I was miserable!" Kantarou agreed. "...Mmm, it must have been someone else in the storm, yeah. It was really bad."

"Hope they got back all right."

"Ah, can we start eating now?" Kantarou beamed at her, bright-eyed and cheerful. "The bit I stole was really good!"

Youko sighed. "You have no sense of decorum," she said. "Eat up, you two, eat up!"

***

The evening wore on into night, and the frost made patterns on the window in the loft room Haruka had taken. Kantarou sat beside him on the bed and looked out. The lodge really had been made welcoming for them; the western-style bed had its covers pulled back just a little, there were flowers in a vase, the curtains were pulled back to give a nice view of the area.

"Ah, it's nice here," Kantarou said.

Haruka made a vague, discontent noise.

"You don't like it?"

"I feel strange," Haruka said.

Kantarou blinked, then grinned. "Aww, Haruka," he drawled. "Well, I guess it is a 'romantic' sort of night..."

"...I didn't say I felt good," Haruka muttered.

Kantarou leaned against him companionably. "The moon's really bright, isn't it?"

"Mm," Haruka said. "... Really bright."

He didn't say anything else, but didn't protest Kantarou's presence, and Kantarou stayed there a long while longer before finally rising. "It will be an early morning tomorrow, probably. Should get some rest."

Haruka hesitated. "...Yes," he said.

"Good night, Haruka."

***

When Kantarou came down to breakfast the next day, Youko blinked at him. "Ehh? Kan-chan is up before Haruka-chan?"

Kantarou blinked back at her. "Haruka isn't up yet?"

"If he is, he hasn't come down here."

"Weird," Kantarou said, and took a seat. "Well, if he's late for breakfast, that's his own--"

"Kan-chan! Go and try to wake him, at least!"

Kantarou sighed, rising again. "Yes, yes," he muttered, climbing the stairs to the loft.

Haruka was lying on bed, almost fully dressed, but with his shirt open to the throat, as if he needed the room to breathe. "...mmph," he said, when Kantarou came in.

"Ah, Haruka, you're slow," Kantarou said. "You should hurry up or there won't be any breakfast left."

Haruka's head tilted and he blinked, slowly, at Kantarou. "... that's fine..."

"It's not fine. It'll be a busy day today." He sat down on the bed, fastening Haruka's shirt with quick, deft fingers, finding his tie open and carefully crossing it, putting the pin in and smoothing down the edges. "There, you're all ready. Come on."

Haruka's hand had risen, as if to grasp at Kantarou's wrist, then fallen back. "... don't feel well."

"Ehhh? Did Haruka get a cold?"

"... youkai don't..."

Kantarou frowned. "... Something's wrong."

"Mmph."

He looked about, reaching in his sleeve for his juzu; he couldn't sense anything, yet, but Haruka looked pale, sweat sticking damp hair to his face. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Haruka..."

"My head hurts," Haruka muttered.

It was familiar, somehow, and a moment later he placed it, spinning to look at the flowers in the vase. They were violet, and he thought he might recognize them. "...These are Ibaragi Douji's flowers..." Quickly, he was up, opening the window they'd been placed beside, to toss them out into the snow. "Haruka, ah, get some air, air--"

A scream cut through the air, from the direction of the house on the hill.

"Fumie-san," Kantarou cried. He rose at once. "Haruka, you take a moment to recover, I'll be back--"

"Kantarou..."

He took the stairs two at a time, meeting Youko in the kitchen.

"I heard a scream," Youko said. "What--"

"No time," he said, throwing winter shoes on and heading for the door. "Fumie-san may be being attacked--"

Youko followed him in a hurry. "Where's Haruka?"

"He's not well," Kantarou said. "He's just getting air, maybe in a minute he'll follow--" At a run, he took to the path towards the house. Halfway up is where he saw Fumie, sprawled back in the snow, a woman all in white standing before her.

"Fumie-san!" Kantarou cried, and skidded up, powdered snow flying up around his feet as he managed, somehow, to keep his balance. "Get down to the lodge! Haruka's there, tell him I want him to protect you."

"Y-- yes!"

He turned his attention to the woman, as Fumie scrambled to her feet and ran.

Her white kimono was long and flowing, the sleeves nearly to the snow by her feet, her skin pale and almost crystiline in quality, her black hair falling in long, silken waves about her body. Her eyes were barely slitted shut, but as she turned to Kantarou, a violet shimmer seemed to glow between her lashes, and Kantarou choked, gasping, as his scar flared into violent pain.

"Kan-chan!" Youko said, grabbing him about the shoulders before he could fall down.

"O...oni..."

The yuki-onna raised a hand and a blizzard descended around them. Kantarou threw up an arm to shield his eyes from the blowing snow, his juzu in his free hand as his other clutched hard at his chest.

"Why were you after Fumie-san?!" he demanded.

"...Fumie...san?" The possessed yuki-onna's voice was sharp-edged. "Fumie-san moved away."

"...Wh-what?" Kantarou flung out his beads just in time to stop an attack, the yuki-onna driving forward, meeting his barrier, and sliding back. "But she was just--"

"Last year, she moved away. She did not want to be here with me. She did not want that. Oh, she had been such company, such good company, but she--"

"Then who was that?" Kantarou's eyes narrowed.

The yuki-onna snarled, "Oni. She took Fumie-san's place and has been living indulgently. She must be punished. She must--"

"Oni, what -- Youko!" Kantarou turned. "Ibaragi Douji is after Haruka!"

"Wh -- Kan-chan! Behind you!"

Kantarou turned, and knew he would not be able to defend from this attack. He tensed, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much--

Lightning came down between him and the yuki-onna, and the blizzard abruptly faded, interrupted.

Haruka landed and stumbled, catching himself on one knee, his shakujou still out and in front of him. "...Stupid. You're ... really useless, aren't you."

"Haruka! What did--"

"There was stupidity back in the lodge," Haruka muttered. "So I ... left. Out the window. You were fighting."

"Are you strong enough?" Kantarou asked. "Haruka, she's--"

One of Haruka's dark eyes rolled to the side to fix him in his gaze. "...I'm strong."

"...Mm," Kantarou agreed, then grew stern. "Haruka, exorcise the aradama from her. But don't kill her."

Lightning struck the yuki-onna a moment later, and she screamed as she was caught in it, arching back, her sleeves rippling, and slowly she fell to her knees, clutching at herself. "...Oh..."

"Are you all right, yukionna-san?" Kantarou asked, kneeling beside her.

She looked up at him in confusion. "What have I been doing...?"

"You've been living in a bad dream for a whie," Kantarou said. "But it's all right now."

"Yes," she murmured, soft. "...Thank you." With that, a small flurry arose around her, and she let herself be taken by the wind.

Kantarou watched for a moment, then turned back to Haruka. "...stupidity in the lodge? What do you mean?"

"That oni," Haruka muttered. "Said she'd been waiting to get me alone, and there were things she would do while I was incapacitated. So I dove out the window."

"....Ah..."

"...The snow helped revive me a little." He shrugged. "...I didn't feel like fighting in the loft in that condition."

***

They re-entered the lodge cautiously, Haruka and Kantarou in front, juzu and shakujou held out in case of attack, Youko following carefully.

The lodge seemed empty. They advanced up the stairs slowly to the loft.

On the bed, Raikou smiled at them, sitting cross-legged and patient. "Ah. Ichinomiya-sensei. Oni-eater."

"You," Kantarou said. "Why did you go after Haruka? I thought you were after me, to get me to withdraw the name-bond."

"Oh, yes," Raikou said. "But if we had him helpless under our control, I imagine you'd be more willing to listen to reason about that, wouldn't you? Have a good evening, Sensei," he added when Haruka made an abrupt move towards him; there was a musical twang, as though a wire cord had been snapped, and he vanished from the spot.

"...As if that would happen," Haruka muttered.

***

"Ahhh, Haruka," Kantarou said, looking up from the paper.

"Write."

"But --"

"Write," Haruka repeated, flatly. "We went off on this trip into that trap because you wanted to, and now your article's due, and we need to eat."

Kantarou pouted at him, and wrote another two words.

"But," he said. "Do you think... Raikou will come after us again, here?"

"Probably." Haruka eyed him. "...You're not writing."

"I'm thinking! I can't write with heavy thoughts on my mind!"

"You certainly don't think much, anyway," Haruka muttered.

Kantarou growled. "Haruka!"

"It's fine," Haruka said, abruptly. "The point won't even come up. They aren't strong enough, and we're careful, anyway.

"I'd still feel better if Haruka stayed with me. So I'd know he was safe."

Haruka looked at him for a long moment, and then glanced aside, to the window. "Of course I'll stay with you," he said.

Slowly, Kantarou smiled, the expression wide and bright. "Haruka..."

"Especially if you feed me."

"I'm writing!" he wailed. "I'm writing!"

But as he turned back to the paper, refusing to look up this time -- he nevertheless had the feeling that, if he did, he would find Haruka smiling at him, a little lingering smile, like the one on his own face.

 


End file.
